Game cabinet



Feb, 20, 1945.

A. LA RIZZA GAME CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. ,16, 1943 1m aay Zaflizza,

5% vi a iwsmdwww Feb. 20, 1945.

0 A. LA RIZZA 2,370,050

GAME CABINET Filed 06%,. 16, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 20, 1945. LA RlZZA 2,370,050

GAME CABINET Filed Oct. 16, 1 945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 2O, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT O FFI'CE GAME CABINET v Anthony La Rizza, Chelsea, Mass.

- Application October 16, 1943, Serial No. 506,532

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-95) This invention relates to game apparatus comprising a cabinet. The game is of that type in which a ball is aimed and propelled by the player so as to pass through a selected one of a group of apertures and in which the score or result depends upon the particular aperture 01" apertures through which the ball passes.

The object of the invention is to provide acompact cabinet in which the player can have no con-- trol o'ver nor affect the manipulation of the ball other than as a result of his'skill in aiming and propelling the ball.

The object of the invention is further to provide such a compact cabinet in which provision shall be made for indicating and recording the indie-la determined by the ball in passingthrough the various apertures.

object of the invention is further to provide a simple and efficient construction of plunger and support for positioning, aiming and propelling the ball.

These and other features of the, invention will appear more fully from the following description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claim.

The drawings represent a preferred embodiment of the invention with the electric control mechanism shown more or less diagrammatically because the details thereof are well known and familiar to those skilled in the art and involve simple wiring and connections.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the cabinet. Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

. 3 is a detail in vertical section taken on .e 3-3 of Fig. 1.

l 4 is a view chiefly in vertical cross section of the entire cabinet taken on the line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the cabinet.

The cabinet may be constructed of any sultable ma .als and may vary in size and shape. comprises essentially three sections, via, a central section H] which constitutes the playing field, a rear section H for indicating the result of the play and a front section 12 for recording the resuit of the play. i

The cabinet as illustrated comprises the side walls i3 supporting at the rear the boxlike rear tlon ii and film the front section l2 having the front wall M.

The central or playing section I?! is enclosed by glass or transparent walls. the essential feature of which is that the front wall thereof shown a sheet of glass Eli shall be separated at its lower edge from the bottom of the section sufficiently to allow the playing plunger to pass therethrough reduced in height at the front to but not suiliciently to allow the playing ball to pass therethrough. The top wall I6 of this transparent enclosure is shown as a sheet of glass extending rearward to connect with the rearsection I I.

Beneaththe transparent enclosure the-central section presents atop wall which constitutes the playing field. The rear portion ll of this top wall is shown as sloping slightly forward while'the front portion 18 has a more decided slope and terminates at therront beneath the lower edge of the glass wall $5 to leav the space already described. This-top wall of the central section is constructedto present a group of apertured indicia bearing determining areas, theseillustrated laterally and longitudinally spaced in rows. In the form illustrated each or these areas includes a circular aperture passing through the wall and a number as the indiciu'm but the shape of the apertures and the particular iridicia employed will depend upon'the gamete be played. Beneaththe top wall of th central section a floor member I9 is provided extending beneath the apertures and sloping forwardly to the bottom of an opening 20 formed in the front portion [8 of the top wall at one side thereof. The purpose of this is to cause a ball passing through any aperture to roll out through the opening Zll into position where it may be engaged for playing. To insure-this a guide member shown as a coil spring 2 l acts to divert the ball into the opening-20'.

The game illustrated is played by aiming and propelling a ball up the inclined top wall of the playing or central section into a desired aperture. For this purpose a plunger support 22 is mounted upon and is movable laterally of the cabinet in front of the narrow opening between the bottom of the glass wall l5 and the wall section l8, This plunger support is shown as provided at the bottom with antifriction rolls 23 riding in grooves of a metal guideway 24 extending across between the side walls of the cabinet. In the plunger support is mounted for reciprocation the plunger 25 having at its rearward end a forked head 26 adapted to engage the playing ball 21. A coil spring 28 mounted on the plunger acts to give the required propelling force when the plunger is drawn forward and released and the spring 29 acts to maintain the plunger in the normal position shown.

It will be seen that in playing the game the player moves the plunger support laterally and brings the forked head into engagement with the ball wherever the ball may be located at the bottom of the inclined wall l8. The player then shifts the plunger support laterally into line with the aperture through which it is desired to discharge the ball and withdraws the plunger and releases it with a force considered sufficient to cause the ball to pass through the desired aperture.

The apertured indicia bearing areas of this central or playing section are herein designated determining areas because the passage of the ball therethrough determines the result of the play.

The rear section I l of the cabinet is provided on its front wall 30 with a group of indicating areas bearing indicia corresponding to those of the determining areas. These indicating areas are herein illustrated as circular transparent covered openings bearing on the transparent cover numerals corresponding to the numerals constituting the indicia of the determining areas. These indicating areas of the rear section are so named because their function is to indicate the result of the play in the playing section. For this purpose a lamp is mounted in the rear section behind each indicating area and an electric connection extends from each lamp to a switch located beneath the corresponding determining area. Since the electric connections are the same in each case, it is sufficient to illustrate but one. One such lamp 3| is shown mounted in the wall 30, the face of which is transparent or translucent throughout the indicia bearing indicating areas. An electric circuit extending from a suitable source of power includes this lamp and a suitable electric switch 32 located beneath the aperture and operated when a ball passes through the aperture to light the lamp and thus cause indication of an indicium corresponding to that determined by the passage of the ball.

The front section of the cabinet in front of which the player stands in operating the plunger presents a group of recording areas bearing indicia which correspond to some or all of those of the determining and indicating areas. Preferably there is provided a plurality of these groups of recording areas each of which bears indicia corresponding to but a few of those of the determining and indicating areas. As illustrated the front section is divided up into a plurality of eight divisions or cells 33 consisting of two rows of four each. The top wall 34 of the front section extending over all the cells is of translucent material and the selected indicia are shown as marked thereon in one of the cells. Other groups will similarly be marked on other cells. A lamp 35 is mounted in each cell and each lamp is connected with a suitable switch located in a convenient place, as for example, on the side wall l3 of the cabinet. One such connection 36 is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 extending to a switch button 31. The top wall of each cell of the front section thus presents a group of recording areas bearing indicia which correspond to indicia of the determining areas of the central or playing section and the indicating areas of the rear section. And these are designated as recording areas because upon them are to be recorded the result of the play determined by the ball and indicated on the rear section.

In playing the game with the cabinet illustrated the player is given one or more groups of recording areas. This is done by pressing the switches to light the lamps in the cells selected and thus indicate the particular group or groups to be played. The player then plays the ball in the manner already described, and whenever the ballpasses through an aperture, a lamp associated with the corresponding indicating area is lighted and there is thus indicated the indicium on the recording area to be recorded.

There is thus presented the very simple compact playing cabinet in which it is impossible for the player to manipulate the control of the play or the indication thereof otherwise than by his own skill in aiming the ball and controlling the force with which it is propelled. Each play is immediamly and automatically indicated in full view and easily recorded by marking the corresponding recording area on the front section.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A game cabinet comprising a section having a top wall sloping forward with a series of laterally and longitudinally spaced apertures therethrough, a plunger support mounted upon and movable laterally of the cabinet in front of said top wall, a plunger slidable in the support toward and from said top wall for propelling a ball over the apertured surface, and a transparent casing extending over and enclosing the front portion of the said top wall with the front wall of the casing extending transversely of the direction of movement of the plunger when sliding in its support and with the bottom edge of the said front wall of the casing spaced from the said top wall of the cabinet a distance sufficient to allow the operation of the plunger therebeneath but insuflicient to allow the passage of the ball therebeneath.

ANTHONY LA RIZZ'A. 

